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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536721">Discovery in Four Parts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanityIsClarity/pseuds/InsanityIsClarity'>InsanityIsClarity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), tangled - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of emotional abuse, Gen, Sibling Relationship, Varian isn't stupid but he isn't exactly smart either, he takes a while to realize what's happened but he gets there eventually</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:23:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanityIsClarity/pseuds/InsanityIsClarity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"He sees things, and when he sees, he pays attention more to what he hears. When he pays attention more to what he hears, he realizes things, and then, when he realizes enough, he knows things."</p><p>Or: Varian slowly realizes Rapunzel's past.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rapunzel &amp; Varian (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>223</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Discovery in Four Parts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Varian knows things. Really, he does! He’s only six, but he’s smart, and his dad goes and talks to the king <em>a lot</em> so he definitely knows things.</p><p>He knows that the Kingdom’s princess has been missing for more years than he’s had birthdays. He knows she’s ten now, and the king and queen really want her back. He hopes they get her back because he can’t imagine trying to live without his dad. </p><p>Varian knows things, but he doesn’t know <em>everything</em>. He doesn’t know where the princess is, or why she’s missing, or when she’ll come back. His dad tells him that he doesn’t have to know these things, because no one knows these things, so he doesn’t feel too bad about it.</p><p>-</p><p>In time, Varian realizes things. By the time he’s ten, he realizes that sending lanterns out every year on the princess’s birthday probably won’t bring her home if she doesn’t know when her birthday is, wherever she is.</p><p>He realizes the lanterns are just a feeble hope that will most likely not lead to anything real, and that it’s probably just a way for the king and queen to feel better about how badly the search is going. He doesn’t blame them for doing anything that just might work, though, and he hopes with all his heart that it is successful as well.</p><p>Varian realizes things, but he doesn’t realize <em>everything</em>. He doesn’t realize what the closed-off looks the villagers get whenever they talk about the princess mean. He doesn’t realize why his father is always insisting on him staying close by and safe.</p><p>-</p><p>Not long after Varian finally realizes that the princess might not <strike>be alive</strike> come back, he hears things. It would be hard to not hear things, with how loud everyone suddenly is. Quirin goes to the capitol on the princess’s 18th birthday to be there for the royals in their time of grief and comes back two days later with fantastical news: the princess is alive!</p><p>Varian hears from Quirin, same as everyone in his village does, of the princess’s story. Kidnapped by a witch intent on staying young forever, rescued by <em>Flynn Rider</em>! It’s practically a fairy tale story, full of impossible coincidences and escapades, and Varian gets just as wrapped up in the cheer as everyone else.</p><p>Varian hears the things that are said, but he’s not so good at hearing the <em>everything </em>in the subtext. He doesn’t hear the sadness in his dad’s voice that night at dinner when Quirin gives him some more details about the princess’s life in a tower. He doesn’t hear how Quirin is leaving some rather large details out of his tale. He falls asleep early that evening and doesn’t hear his dad pacing all night long.</p><p>-</p><p>Varian sees things. Things that he really shouldn’t be seeing. He sees the princess, and Flynn Rider in his laboratory! He sees a head full of 70-foot-long indestructible hair. He sees something he’s made blow up (again). </p><p>Varian doesn’t know everything, or realize everything, or hear everything. But he does have an eye for detail, and he sees somewhat close to <em>everything.</em></p><p>He sees how the princess’s body language reads a certain amount of uncertainty, sees how she’s obviously faking being comfortable with his invention when she’s obviously not.</p><p>They become friends and he sees how Rapunzel and Eugene protect each other in equal turns, but not to equal responses. When Rapunzel protects Eugene, he looks annoyed, sure, that his girlfriend isn’t letting him help, but he always looks completely confident in her ability to handle any scenario. When Eugene protects Rapunzel, however, she always seems just a bit surprised, as though she’s not used to being prioritized.</p><p>Rapunzel protects him, too. She protects him from the automatons even while he’s betraying her, and when he’s on her side again, she puts herself between him and fixing his own deadly mistakes. </p><p>On their way to the Demanitus Chamber, he sees how she puts her own fears aside, almost as though she feels hers won’t matter to him. He’s protected by her yet again when she stands between him and a black blade.</p><p>He sees things, and when he sees, he pays attention more to what he hears. When he pays attention more to what he hears, he realizes things, and then, when he realizes enough, he knows things.</p><p>And though he finally knows more, he still doesn’t know <em>everything</em>, and a part of him really, <em>really</em> doesn’t want to. So he doesn’t ask, ever; he just tries to deal with the knowledge he now has, and loves his honorary older sister even more.</p>
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